A Thousand Ways To Say I Love You

CHAPTER LXXI

The next evening,Matteo sat in his office, his mind racing as he stared at the small pendrive lying on the desk in front of him. It was the same one he had found clutched in Mia’s hand after the confrontation with Carter. His instincts told him that whatever was inside held the key to unraveling Carter’s plans and possibly clearing the path between him and Isabella.

But there was a problem—the pendrive was encrypted. He had spent days trying to figure out the password, knowing that time was running out. Every passing moment felt like a countdown to something worse, and the thought of Carter moving closer to Isabella only fueled his determination.

His fingers tapped impatiently on the keyboard as he tried various combinations—dates, names, anything that Mia might have used. “Come on, Mia,” he muttered under his breath. “What did you hide in here, and why?”

He leaned back in his chair, his thoughts swirling. The office was silent except for the faint hum of the computer. His men had been keeping Carter in check for now, but that wouldn’t last forever. Matteo knew that Carter wouldn’t stop until he found a way to expose him in front of Isabella.

He felt a wave of frustration rise within him. He had never been the type to beg or plead, but with Isabella, everything was different. His need to protect her, to keep her from the danger, was overwhelming. And now, the pendrive felt like his last chance at taking control of the situation.

Matteo sat forward, determined to focus. He needed to approach this logically. Mia was emotional, but she was also strategic. The password would be something personal, something that meant something to her. He closed his eyes, trying to remember their past conversations, the moments they had shared when she had been his trusted secretary.

Then it hit him. Before her dead Mia had mentioned that she Love him and how much she cared for him, so could it be his birthday was the one thing. Matteo quickly typed in his birth date.

The screen flickered for a moment, and his heart skipped a beat. Then, the files on the pendrive opened. Matteo sigh remembering Mia he felt utterly grateful for her love and he also love her but as his small sister.

“Got it,” he whispered, relief flooding through him.

He clicked through the files, his eyes narrowing as he began to piece together the puzzle. There were emails, documents, and encrypted communications—everything pointing to Carter’s plan. Carter had been working behind the scenes, manipulating not just Mia but several other people to ensure Matteo's downfall. He also find the video of Carter murdering Mr Cloce one of Matteo business partner, at that time it made Matteo the main suspect of the case but there wasn't any prove that it was him so the police release him, ever since then the police is still working on the case till now.

With the pendrive’s information in hand, Matteo knew he needed to act quickly. "You are a dead meat, Mr Carter D'Angelo"

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Isabella sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the wall as memories of her past swirled in her mind. The revelation about Matteo and her true identity felt like a whirlwind, leaving her confused and emotionally drained. She had spent the entire day in her room, grappling her feelings.

When Carter’s call came in, it jolted her out of her thoughts. “Hey, Isabella! Just wanted to remind you about dinner tonight. You haven’t forgotten, right?” His voice was upbeat, full of enthusiasm that felt foreign to her current state.

Isabella hesitated, guilt washing over her. She had promised Carter she would join him for dinner, and he had been supportive, always checking in on her. But she had to stop him from whatever the feelings he had for her, she have to put an end to it. “I…I haven’t forgotten,” she finally replied, forcing a small smile she didn’t feel. “I’ll be there.”